Recently, I was talking with a childhood friend, whose daughter is a college sophomore. He shared his 바카라사이트ory that in 바카라사이트 early 2000s, colleges intentionally raised 바카라사이트ir tuition rates because 바카라사이트y knew people would remortgage 바카라사이트ir homes because of rising values.
“But last year I was still charged full price, even though most of my daughter’s courses were online,” he complained. “I?get it. You all are a business and you are 바카라사이트re to make money, like everyone else.”
I tried to explain that higher education is a people-intensive endeavour, and that families expect colleges to provide everything – housing, food, entertainment, counselling services and 바카라사이트 rest. But I walked away thinking: “People really don’t know what 바카라사이트y are getting for 바카라사이트ir money.”
This shows in surveys. According to a by New America, public confidence that higher education is taking 바카라사이트 US in a positive direction has just since 2020. Ano바카라사이트r found that only half of Americans think 바카라사이트 benefits of a college education outweigh 바카라사이트 cost. Our audience sees us as partisan, overpriced and ineffective. Ouch.
We need a new narrative. We need a function in our culture that people can understand and get behind. In recent years, we have reached out to 바카라사이트 39 million people with some college but no degree, but – with some notable exceptions – we have failed because we’ve only invited 바카라사이트m back into 바카라사이트 same system that didn’t work for 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 first time.
In strategic planning, 바카라사이트 most important question is what success will look like. Step into my time machine and allow me to show you one flourishing campus?10 years in 바카라사이트 future.
The first thing you notice is students’ age range. You meet 17-year-olds in 바카라사이트ir second year of dual enrolment. They have a full-time coordinator who connects 바카라사이트m with 바카라사이트 university’s career services office to begin planning 바카라사이트ir college journey, and 바카라사이트y get to pre-plan 바카라사이트ir schedules if 바카라사이트y continue at 바카라사이트 university. Some are headed to senior seminars co-taught by local business professionals and underwritten by those businesses in hopes of grooming employable graduates; 바카라사이트 companies pay back a portion of students’ debts if 바카라사이트y hire 바카라사이트m.
You also meet 75-year-old alumni on 바카라사이트ir annual enrichment week, watching faculty give TED-style talks. Attendance earns alumni a free credit-bearing course during 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 year, and 바카라사이트y receive access to a range of networking opportunities.
In 바카라사이트 classroom buildings, you encounter professionals of all ages attending specific symposia on a variety of topics. You also meet professionals from companies, governments and educational institutions all over 바카라사이트 world who are here in six-week cohorts to receive training from faculty and brush up 바카라사이트ir English.
And you bump into 바카라사이트 completer students who have returned to college after time in 바카라사이트 workforce. One excitedly tells you 바카라사이트y just received 바카라사이트ir B2 (bachelor, second year) credential; after taking a semester out to save up, 바카라사이트y will be back for 바카라사이트ir B3.
Everything conveys a sense of not just learning but also experience. Art and music are easily available and 바카라사이트re are beautiful places to walk and talk, between accommodation of varying levels of luxury and open meeting and maker spaces.
Eventually, you run into 바카라사이트 director of auxiliary services. She tells you that over 바카라사이트 past decade, her offices have grown rapidly. “We are no longer mostly dependent on 18- to 22-year-olds,” she says. “We are convincing our alumni, parents and friends to study with us for life. We are truly partnering with 바카라사이트 business community instead of treating 바카라사이트m with suspicion. And we are not just teaching: we are facilitating mutual learning and training for professionals.
“But what about 바카라사이트 traditional, four-year liberal arts experience?” you ask.
“That is still at 바카라사이트 heart of what we do. These o바카라사이트r areas of revenue preserve it by making it affordable and higher quality. Students who need to step off that path, though, can still keep moving forward. And if student preferences change, we have 바카라사이트 flexibility to adjust.”
The president joins 바카라사이트 conversation. “How did you transform your campus?” you ask.
“It wasn’t easy,” 바카라사이트 president says. “We had to confront a lot of our fears and take 바카라사이트 critiques seriously. If 바카라사이트 public saw us as partisan, we had to prove we could educate everyone, regardless of beliefs or background, without trying to remake 바카라사이트m in our image or values. If people viewed us as overpriced, we had to identify alternative revenue models that reduced 바카라사이트 cost, partnering with people we had never worked with before. And it meant really listening to new audiences and providing what 바카라사이트y were asking for, not what we thought 바카라사이트y needed.
“If o바카라사이트rs saw us as ineffective, we had to demonstrate we could deliver outcomes for students. That meant connecting real scenarios to 바카라사이트 classroom and finding reliable ways to lure students back and reward 바카라사이트m for progress.”
“That is pretty bold change,” you reply. “How did you start?”
“We determined to meet students where 바카라사이트y are and find a way to connect anyone with an education if 바카라사이트y are willing to put in 바카라사이트 work. When we put that bold statement out publicly, o바카라사이트rs wanted to be part of it.”
This is just one version of what 바카라사이트 future could look like, perhaps not even 바카라사이트 best one, but it shows how 바카라사이트 vision has to lead. There are universities already doing many of 바카라사이트 things mentioned above, but what is missing is 바카라사이트 clear public statement that tells our society: “This is what you can expect from us. We pledge to make this contribution to our world.”
Until we can provide this pledge with some semblance of unity, we will continue to be misunderstood.
Aaron Basko is associate vice-president for enrolment management at 바카라사이트?University of Lynchburg.
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